A topical take on a medieval saying sets the theme for this column.
For the want of batteries, a pressure gauge is lost.
For want of a gauge, a diagnosis is lost.
For want of a diagnosis, a customer is lost.
Spare batteries for gauges, meters and various testers are as valuable as the diagnostic gear itself to every reputable automotive service facility.
Tire dealers and service shop operators meet motorists' expectations by fixing vehicles correctly the first time.
A repair, meanwhile, is only as effective as the diagnosis on which it was based.
Today, accurate diagnoses often rely upon meaningful measurements taken with various gauges, meters and/or testers.
These devices may operate on a battery or batteries — possibly tester-specific ones.
A harried, hapless technician may find that test gear is inoperative due to dead batteries. Or a tester may perform erratically or inaccurately because its battery is faltering and ready for replacement.
All too often, the tech discovers dead or weak batteries at the worst possible times.
For example, this occurs on a diagnosis that began five hours late due to snafus with other repair jobs, a shorthanded staff or other unforeseen setbacks.
Meantime, a short-tempered car owner has increased pressure on the tech by constantly texting his boss for updates on the progress of the diagnosis.
This customer is loyal but also happens to be a stickler for promptness.
Unfortunately, the task will take even longer because the batteries inside a vital pressure gauge are dead. The tech cannot find fresh batteries in house.
To make matters worse, no one realized that the shop's other pressure gauge is useless because it is damaged.